Overview

• CENTCOM chief Gen. Erik Kurilla secured Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s swift approval for a second aircraft carrier strike group and deployments of F-22, F-35 and F-16 squadrons to Gulf bases.
• Kurilla has overridden cautious advice from Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine and policy chief Elbridge Colby in favor of ramped-up air and naval defenses around Iran.
• His combat record and regular Oval Office briefings have given Kurilla unusual influence on President Trump’s range of military options against Tehran.
• The U.S. has continued to boost its Middle East presence with new assets arriving as Trump weighs potential strikes on Iranian targets.
• Officials say Kurilla’s looming July retirement is heightening the urgency of his push to strengthen U.S. deterrence against Iran.